I was given a bottle of wine to try called Gewürztraminer from a wonderful company called Kascadia Wine Merchants from Canada. After sharing with them what I liked in wine, they recommended this variety to send to me. They described this wine as being very versatile and that it paired well with a variety of cheeses and cuisines. This particular wine is produced by world renowned, Meyer Family Vineyards. In July 2017, Meyer Family Vineyards was awarded the distinction of being the #2 best Small Winery in Canada, and #12 winery overall at the prestigious Wine Align’s National Wine Awards of Canada (NWAC). Meyers has their wines featured in prestigious magazines such as Decanter and The Globe and Mail often which has wine enthusiasts from all parts of the world scrambling to visit their winery in majestic Okanagan Valley. I loved it! After tasting it, I knew EXACTLY the dish I wanted to prepare to enjoy with the wine. I came up with this Bleu Cheese Bacon Savory Cheesecake. Do not let the complexity of this recipe scare you, it is A LOT easier to make than you think. Here is what you need:
Ingredients
6oz of Bleu Cheese Crumbled
16oz of Cream Cheese Softened
1/2 C of Sour Cream
2 Eggs
2 C Cooked, Crumbled Bacon
3 C of Pretzels Crushed
1 Stick of Butter Melted
- Mix the crushed pretzels with the melted butter.
- Press into a spring form pan.
- Bake the pretzel crust at 325 degrees for 8 minutes, let cool.
- In a stand mixer, mix the cream cheese, bleu cheese, sour cream in a mixer until well combined.
- Add in the eggs and whip for a steady 5 minutes.
- Fold in half the amount of bacon.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture over the pretzel crust.
- Bake at 275 degrees for one hour.
- Turn off oven and do not open the door and let the cake sit in the oven for another hour. (test the center with a toothpick and the center should have some firmness to it, ovens vary, so if it’s too soft, bake for another 15 to 20 minutes at 300 degrees to set it.
- Take cake out and let cool on a wire rack for four hours.
- Release cake from pan and top with the remaining bacon.
*I prefer to bake my cheesecakes using a water bath method, sometimes called a Bain-Marie. This allows the cheesecake to cook more evenly and prevents cracking. It’s quite easy, though it does seem complicated the first time you try it.
- Wrap the outside of your spring form pan in a few layers of foil, allowing the foil to come up the sides of the pan. Make sure you have a few different layers so no water can seep in.
- Once filled, place the pan in a larger casserole dish.
- Fill the casserole with warm water until it reaches halfway up the pan.
- Bake as directed.
This recipe makes for a decadent treat for a large group as each person only needs to enjoy a small slice. You can really wow your guests with this recipe and it is perfect for the upcoming holidays. We really enjoyed this recipe while sipping on the delicious wine and enjoying the Fall weather. The sweetness of the wine paired with the saltiness of the cheesecake was the perfect combination!
Happy Eating & Drinking!
